The Middle Ages

The Black Abbey, late 19th Century

The Black Abbey, Abbey Street and part of the City Walls, late 19th Century

Kilkenny County Library Photograph collection

The Black Abbey, late 19th Century
Kilkenny County Library Photograph collection

The Black Abbey, late 19th Century

The Black Abbey, Abbey Street and part of the City Walls, late 19th Century

Kilkenny County Library Photograph collection

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1244 The bishop of Ossory gives the Dominicans of the Black Abbey the right to draw water from St. Canice's Well, Kenny's Well, document in Corporation archives

1245 Anselm Marshall the last of William Marshall's sons dies. Leinster is divided between his five sisters. Isabelle, the widow of the Earl of Gloucester gets County Kilkenny. Their descendants, the de Clare earls of Gloucester hold Kilkenny until 1314.

1250 First Murage Grant (the right to collect taxes to build a wall around Kilkenny)

1260 (approximately Building of the Talbot Tower at south-west corner of wall

1314 At the Battle of Bannockburn near Stirling in Scotland, Robert Bruce defeats the English army. Among the dead is Gilbert de Clare, Earl of Gloucester. He has no male heir, so County Kilkenny is divided among his three sisters. Eleanor gets the town of Kilkenny. Her husband is Hugh Le Despenser, and the Despensers hold Kilkenny for most of the 14th century.

1315 Edward Bruce invades Ireland with a Scots army. He is killed in 1318.

1324 Trial of Alice Kyteler for witchcraft. Petronilla de Media found guilty and burned.